On May 19, 2025, Honda Motor Co. officially announced the termination of its sponsorship agreement with Team Liquid, one of the largest esports organizations in the world. The decision comes from a social media post by a Team Liquid player that was deemed inappropriate, particularly given Honda’s Japanese origins.
Honda first partnered with Team Liquid in 2019 in a multi-million dollar deal, expanding the relationship in 2022 to include naming rights for Team Liquid’s League of Legends teams under the “Team Liquid Honda” brand. The automobile company eventually became the organization’s primary sponsor.
The controversy began on May 13, 2025, after Team Liquid’s Brazilian Rainbow 6 Siege player Lucas “DiasLucasBr” Dias posted a GIF on X following a loss to Japan’s CAG OSAKA squad in the ongoing RE:L0:AD 2025 tournament.
The media post in question was an atomic bomb explosion, depicting the Hiroshima incident – a deeply tragic event in Japan’s history.
Lucas Dias’ controversial Tweet
Three days later, Dias issued an apology for the now-deleted post, saying it was a big mistake and understood it may have made many people uncomfortable:
“From the bottom of my heart It was never my intention to make any offensive reference, but I recognize that the context and choice were inappropriate.”
Team Liquid founder and Co-CEO Victor Goossens clarified that Dias’ actions were an honest mistake that meant no harm:
What happened was a mistake, not malice. Dias is a young player who searched “bomba caindo,” Portuguese for “falling bomb,” to express how the team blew up in the match. The image he chose was thoughtless, but there was no hateful intent behind it. That context matters.
Team Liquid raised internal measures, clarifying that Dias would undergo internal disciplinary actions and participate in educational training:
“We are committed to providing Lucas with the training necessary to grow as a person. An honest mistake should not be the end of someone’s career.”
Additional measures include a fine equivalent to four months’ salary for Dias, and a commitment from the Rainbow Six team to donate all of their prize winnings from the RE:L0:AD 2025 tournament to a charitable organization as a gesture of accountability and goodwill.
While Team Liquid hoped their response and corrective measures would resolve the issue, the damage had already been dealt. Honda lodged a strong protest with Team Liquid, and concluded that the post was incompatible with the company’s philosophy of “Respect for Humanity”. As a result, the Japanese automotive manufacturer officially ended the partnership.
After much consideration, AHM (American Honda Motor Co.,) has decided to terminate its sponsorship agreement with the team in question, deeming the conduct to be incompatible with Honda corporate values and unacceptable.
Fans claim Honda’s decision might have been a little excessive. Several speculated that the incident may have served as a convenient exit from a partnership that was no longer strategically beneficial.
They were just waiting for an excuse to leave esports. This was just a push which they hoped for.
— Dominjo (@Dominjo7) May 19, 2025
Team Liquid is now working to rebuild trust within the Japanese community and beyond, this time, without one of its key sponsors.
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